


A Very Great Misunderstanding

by GretchenSinister



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, rated T for thematic elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19196026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GretchenSinister/pseuds/GretchenSinister
Summary: Original Prompt: "North regards Jack as a father would regard his unruly but lovable child, and he always makes sure that he has a special gift or kind word or bit of wisdom to share, and worries about Jack like a parent would. Realizing that Jack is kind of lonely and doesn’t really have a home, North invites Jack to live with him at the North Pole.Jack is kind of confused about why North is being so nice to him in the first place, until he reaches the conclusion that North is attracted to him (maybe he sees a couple exchange gifts?). The presents, the nice things he says to Jack, the clothes, the rich food, the reason he was so gentle that time he treated Jack’s injuries, offering to let Jack live with him- it all makes sense now!Jack isn’t attracted to North at all, but hey, the guy’s been nice to him, and Jack’s spent 300 years alone, so he’ll take what he can get. The least he can do to repay North is offer him his body...[cut for length]"Everyone applaud me for actually sticking with this prompt entirely as-is. Well, except that both Jack and North acknowledge that Jack is 300 years old and not a child in any natural sense.





	A Very Great Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on 2/20/2016.

“There has been,” North says, “a very great misunderstanding.”  
  
Jack hunches his shoulders up, trying to disappear within North’s coat, which North had hurriedly given him as soon as he had seen Jack naked. It had been an action of automatic kindness, and when Jack recalls his response—which he now realizes would only have been baffling and embarrassing to North—he seriously considers the merits of burying himself in a snow drift for a few years. But North had simply put the coat on him again and buttoned it, before ushering Jack to the kitchens and offering him a cup of hot chocolate, as if despite Jack’s appalling behavior, offering him some sort of ordinary comfort was more important than an explanation, at least at first. And so not Jack doesn’t know how to respond. An apology? Relief? Too much of that, though, would probably be insulting, and he doesn’t want to damage his relationship with North any more than it probably already is.  
  
“I am fearing very greatly that I have acted in a way that I should not,” North goes on, and Jack raises his head a little in surprise. This isn’t how he expected the conversation to turn at all. “I hope you will tell me honestly, Jack, if I have acted in a way that made you think the way you presented yourself today would be welcomed. And I ask this especially because I have seen no signs of interest from you—but then again, I am now doubting how observant I am of myself or anyone at all.”  
  
“Um. No, you were right,” Jack says. “You didn’t observe any interest because there wasn’t any like that.”  
  
North nods slowly. “I am glad to be right but now I have even more concern over my own actions. Have I behaved in such a way that made you think that I, knowing that you had no interest, would be pleased by your offer anyway? What have I done to make you think that I would enjoy doing the things you suggested with a partner who is not enthusiastic?”  
  
Jack stares into his hot chocolate. He hadn’t even considered that perspective. True, he had been planning to pretend to be enthusiastic, but for all his characteristic bluster, North is difficult to fool. Even if he had managed to deceive North in the moment, he probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up that deception, and then—well, the only two options would be North not caring, which, yeah, was pretty horrible, or, North then being horrified, which would pretty much make what Jack did the worst gift ever. “You didn’t do anything to make me think that,” Jack says. “I wasn’t thinking about things that way when I made my plan. And as for anything you’ve done to make me think that you’d want me the way I offered…” Jack sighs. “I thought that that’s what all the conversation, and gifts, and hugs, and the offer to let me stay here—I thought that’s what they added up to. Not because of themselves, but because I…I couldn’t think of anything else.”  
  
“Nothing else?” North asks, sounding solemn.  
  
“Well.” Jack makes a face. “It’s not as though I haven’t embarrassed myself already. With everything you did, I kind of wanted to see you as a dad. But we both know I’m three hundred years old, and shouldn’t I be over that? And you really weren’t treating me like a child, yours or anybody else’s. And so I pretty much gave up on that. As you could tell.” He takes a drink of his hot chocolate.  
  
North nods again, his expression a little lighter. “I think perhaps—or, that is a question for after this one: If you came to the conclusion that I was showing interest in you in a romantic way, and that you should respond, why did you, hmm, skip so many steps? Surely the sort of thing you did is, well, something that would normally be worked up to, yes?”  
  
Jack hunches his shoulders up again. “It was the only way I could think of to even start to pay you back for everything you’ve given me.” When he looks up, North’s arms are folded and he’s finally looking at Jack with exasperation. It’s really a bit late for that, Jack thinks, but he probably deserves worse, so…  
  
“Pay. Me. Back,” North says. “Do you know—can you—how—Jack! I have never looked for repayment for any of the gifts I have given in my entire existence! It is not different because you are a Guardian and not a child!” He frowns. “I had not thought you would think this, but I should have told you, anyway! I mean, your worries! All my gifts are freely given, especially for someone who—ach, but you will think I am just saying this, now.” He shakes his head and refills Jack’s hot chocolate.  
  
“Just saying what?” Jack finds he’s feeling a bit better now, if even more foolish than before. Why had he assumed Santa Claus, of all people, would expect some sort of equivalent repayment for the gifts he gave? Why had he assumed that the offer of sex had been the right thing to do? Well…if he did know why, that was something he could keep to himself. It was way too sad and soppy to say that he had assumed these things because to  _not_ assume them would mean that he was genuinely cared for, for his own sake, and he still wasn’t quite sure if he could get something that he wanted  _that_  much.  
  
“Ah, well.” North shrugs, and glances around, as if looking for his tools. “You have noticed I have been careful to not treat you as a child. And this  _is_  because I know you are centuries old. I would not want to insult you by assuming to treat you as the different ages we appear might call for. But when you said you had hoped to see me as a father, I felt—let me say, I would not want you to give up on that hope. I would be very—very honored to care for you, and think of you in some ways as my child.”  
  
Jack stares at him, feeling his eyes welling as they always do. This—this is so opposite to how he expected the day to go, so much better than he expected. “Um,” Jack says, trying to sound joking, “you’re not going to try to give me a curfew or anything, right?”  
  
North gives him a half-smile and holds out his arms. Yeah, Jack thinks. All right. This isn’t the kind of happiness that needs to go with jokes. He scrambles into the hug, tripping over North’s robe on the way.  
  
But even though he doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon, he can’t simply stay quiet. “If you’re going to be kind of my dad, is there anyone out there who’s kind of my mom, now?”  
  
North just laughs and tells him they’ll talk about that later.


End file.
